Among the mountains, the plants and trees are bleak. In late autumn, the weather is high and the air is cool and the fields are peaceful. A caravan is walking on the mountain road.

The pack horses drooped their heads, and the goods on their bodies were pressing down on them for a moment of ease. The guys waved their whips and shouted loudly in the caravan, threatening the horses that were almost about to be pressed down.

This caravan is not big, with only forty or fifty horses pulling goods. Behind the caravan is a dozen knights. The horses under their crotch are obviously different from those of the pack horses. The tall and tall horses are immediately inserted into the knights and arrows. They are all tigers and bears, and they look very imposing. They are the guards of the caravan.

Zhai Zhe was in the middle of the caravan, with fluffy hair tied in a bun behind his head.

It has been three years since his soul traveled to this body. After a long period of time of decomposition and integration, he could not tell whether the body was controlled by the soul from the 21st century or the original host. Three years were not long or short, but most of the memories about the later generations began to become blurred, but the oppression brought to him by this era became clearer and clearer, because the new emperor ascended the throne last year and the year was Chongzhen.

For Zhai Zhe, this was the Ming Dynasty more than 300 years ago. There was no refrigerator in summer and no heating in winter, but at least he got a good body. For him, who was born in a wealthy businessman's family, he at least didn't have to worry about drinking a big bowl of wine and eating a large piece of meat.

But since the new emperor ascended the throne, the name of Chongzhen sounded like a spell in his ears. If his gradually blurred memories were not wrong, this should be from the Ming Dynasty\u

2000

An emperor born in the 6700s, more than ten years or twenty years later, the Northeast Tartars would rule the Central Plains, and the Han people would cut themselves into bald heads and leave a pigtail braid behind their heads, opening up the darkest era.

Under the leadership of experienced and experienced guys, the caravan was moving slowly and climbed over the mountains beneath his feet in the most energy-saving way.

After noon, the caravan finally crossed the last big mountain in sight. The guy and the pack horse seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The most difficult road had passed, but the dangerous road was about to come.

A middle-aged man dressed in a capable and felt hat came from the crowded caravan to the guards' cavalry and bowed, and asked for instructions in a low voice: "Second Young Master, are you resting outside Xuan Town?". He was Sun Zicai, the leader of the caravan. He had walked the road from Jiexiu to Xuanfu to get out of the frontier. He knew the best wherever he needed to be vigilant along the way, and he arranged the itinerary along the way.

The distant ones are far away, Zhai Zhe took back his thoughts and waved his hand and said, "I will listen to you!"

Xuanzhen is a hurdle for caravans going out of the frontier. Within the Great Wall of Xuanfu, it is the territory of the Ming Dynasty. It is under the jurisdiction of the "Da Ming Law". Even if there are various troubles, there are still rules to follow. After leaving the gate of Xuanfu, you step into the pier that enters the grassland - Zhangjiakou. Although it is still nominally the Ming Dynasty, it follows the rules of the jungle. Whether to throw corpses and return in the wilderness or return in brocade clothes depends entirely on destiny. Therefore, caravans going out of the frontier will be accustomed to having a full meal in the Great Wall of Xuanzhen, and over time, such customs are left behind.

Although the journey from Shanxi to Xuanfu Great Wall, which is not far away, the mountain roads along the way are rugged and difficult to walk. However, from now on, the difficult mountain road will gradually transition into a plain. Until the gate of Zhangjiakou is the endless grassland. The most difficult walking for pack horses has passed, but the dangerous road has just begun. On the border between the grassland and the Ming Dynasty, there has never been a lack of the idea of ​​bandits and horse thieves taking business trips along the way.

After turning a fork in the road, the road below her feet changed from bumpy and undulating to flat and wide, which was the official road leading from Beijing to Xuanzhen. Xuanfu is located in the north of Beijing and is the barrier for the Ming Dynasty to defend against the Mongolians in the northern grasslands. It has been working hard for many years and has been well built in order to facilitate the distributing of materials.

Seeing that there were no pedestrians on the road, Zhai Zhe waved his hand and urged him to urge him to rush to Xiaochi. The sound of guards behind him was also a way to move their muscles and bones to go out of the frontier. All the merchants that dared to leave the frontier would have their own guards, ranging from three to four hundred to one or two hundred. Of course, these are just safety guarantees, not safety reliance.

Sun Zicai looked at the back of the guard cavalry, with a light brow and muttered in a low voice: "The business this year is getting worse and worse!"

The apprentice Li Fu, who was following closely behind, asked: "Why!"

Sun Zicai tapped his head with the horse whip in his hand and said, "I haven't encountered a caravan on the road. At this time of the past year, this mountain road was the busiest time of the year."

In late autumn and early winter, rice and millet in the Central Plains are ripe, and cattle on the grassland are fat and horses are strong. It was when the caravans in Shanxi collected goods and stepped into the grassland. In previous years, cargo teams continued to lead to Zhangjiakou on the road from Xuanfu to Zhangjiakou. However, everything has changed since the war in the grassland last year. No caravan dared to enter the grassland blindly, and there were few people from the grassland who came to Zhangjiakou to purchase goods.

"The boss is going to lay off people, right?" Li Fu lowered his voice and asked his master for confirmation.

There are many mountains in Shanxi, and the land is barren. Many people are pointing to the neighboring place of Mongolia and ventured out of the Frontier to do business and make a living. The business has been difficult for more than a year, which has been a fatal blow to many businesses. Some businesses have begun to fire their friends. The rumor among the friends who are traveling with them is endless. The Jiexiu Zhai family has not reached this point, but people are already panic.

"Shut up your mouth and work honestly!" Sun Zicai was not polite this time, and he whipped Li Fu's head with a heavy whip. He couldn't guess the boss's thoughts, but he would sooner or later spread the nonsense like his apprentice.

The caravan walked quickly on the flat avenue. The official road leading to the capital was not as remote as a mountain road. Occasionally, pedestrians were seen coming and going. Zhai Zhe led the guards to trot for a while and then slowed down and walked carefully behind the pack horse cargo team. There would be nothing here\

1a17

u5371 is dangerous, but Jin people have always been cautious outside, and Xuanzhen is not a place where caravans can run wild.

As we approached Xuanzhen Pass, the more pedestrians we met on the road, the more we reached Bianji Zhangjiakou and there were more troops, which was also a rare prosperous place on the border. Not far away, you can see the steep Xuanfu Great Wall standing in front of the mountain pass road. Some shops began to appear on both sides of the avenue, and Zhai Zhe and others were dismounted.

"Members, come in and have a tea! You will definitely make a fortune when you go out to the frontier." The clever teahouse guy had already discovered this large-scale team and walked to the middle of the road to attract customers.

"Go and go!" Sun Zicai waved his hand in annoyance and cursed: "Don't drink tea!"

The team was walking slower and slower. Zhai Zhe waved his hand and the guards quietly surrounded the pack horse team in the middle to isolate contact with pedestrians.

There is about two miles away from the city wall. There is a noodle restaurant on the side of the road with a flag hanging on it with the words "Jin Yi Bowl" written on it, swaying in the wind.

The guy who was looking around at the entrance of the store saw Sun Zicai and others and immediately stepped forward and said intimately: "Shopkeeper Sun, are you going out of the box? Come in and eat a bowl of noodles!" He knew he was an acquaintance at first glance.

Sun Zicai cursed, "I'm not a shopkeeper." Then he turned his head and looked at Zhai Zhe with inquiring eyes.

Zhai Zhe had no objection and nodded slightly.

Sun Zicai nodded and lowered his voice to the receptionist, saying, "That's our second young master, please be careful."

The guy said "Oh" and shouted loudly: "Come here!"

This store is quite famous. The store is not as depressed as the previous ones encountered. A few waiters came out to put on the tables and chairs quickly. There were more than fifty people in this rank, which was a large caravan. The boiling water in the kitchen was steaming hot. The caravan settled the horses under the guidance of the staff and left a dedicated person to take care of them.

Zhai Zhe found a clean table to sit down. The guy who got the hint of Sun Zicai immediately brought a plate of cooked beef and a plate of peanuts and asked carefully: "Customer, do you want wine?"

Zhai Zhe shook his head, looking a little absent-minded. There was a mystery on his way. In the situation of such a sluggish grassland business, why did the elder brother mobilize so many people to Zhangjiakou? Their ranks are already the third group, and the elder brother has almost mobilized 70% of the Zhai family's strength to Zhangjiakou. Could it be that he wanted to take the risk of making a block? Everything will be revealed until Zhangjiakou.

Sharpened noodles and old vinegar are always the favorites of Shanxi people. Wherever Shanxi people do business, they will bring these two things, and the guys and guards are steaming.

While we were having dinner, we heard a noise on the road outside. Zhai Zhe raised his head and did not get up.

"Tsk tsk, which business can ask for so many goods! The business has finally improved again!" The guy standing at the door smacked his lips and praised. The lives of these people are closely related to the prosperity of Zhangjiakou. Only with many business travelers can there be business.

Sun Zicai, who was close to the door, also looked around for a while, looked happy, ran to Zhai Zhe's table and said, "Second Young Master, I don't know about such a large cargo team at all. It seems that the business is really getting better."
Chapter completed!